Readers React: Garment makers want to leave L.A. to exploit cheap labor in Texas? Let them go.

To the editor: Let’s see if I have this right: The Korean American garment businesses in downtown Los Angeles want to move to Texas because they won’t have to pay a living wage (slave labor is good), they expect advance notice of raids (thus giving them time to cover up before the feds arrive), and here in L.A. it is difficult to launder money (poor babies). (“The fight to keep Korean businesses in L.A.,” Sept. 2)

Have a good time in Texas.

Karl F. Schmid, Los Angeles

..

To the editors: Starting in the 1990s, American firms relocated jobs to Asia because of unrealistically high union-demanded wages and benefits. Now, cities like Los Angeles are forcing firms to relocate to other lower-cost American cities because of unrealistically high city-mandated wages.

Cities and unions cannot dictate wages and benefits; they should let the market decide. That probably won’t happen until the last manufacturing job is gone.

Andrew Ko, San Marino

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook